A Mennonite father who murdered his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to move to some parts of southern Ontario in the coming months, but his long-term plans for reintegrating into his close-knit community remain unclear.
Waterloo Regional Police were called to a property on Powell Road in Wellesley Township on Sept. 18, 2021, where they discovered the body of a child in the basement of the residence.
The child's father, Isaac Martin, 31, was arrested within minutes of the first officers arriving.
Martin was charged with first-degree murder. In January 2024, a judge ruled him not criminally responsible (NCR) for the death of his son, Marlon, by reason of mental disability.
“At the time of the incident, Mr. Martin suffered from a severe mental illness that clearly impaired his ability to recognize that these actions were wrong,” Martin's lawyer, Steve Gale, told CTV News.
Martin is currently being treated at the Southwest Forensic Psychiatric Centre in St. Thomas and is under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Provincial Review Board, which keeps up to date on Martin's treatment and determines what privileges he will be given, with the long-term goal of ultimately reintegrating him into society.
Martin's first review committee hearing was held in April and a detailed report by the five-person panel about the hearing and its subsequent decision – known as its reasons for disciplinary action – has now been made public.
The report said that during police interviews after his arrest, Martin told them he received a message from God telling him to kill his child, but that he regretted his actions and didn't know what happened.
The board determined that Martin was still considered a significant threat and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features.
Martin will remain in custody at the Southwest Forensic Mental Health Centre but, depending on his recovery over the next few months, he may be allowed to visit Elgin and Middlesex counties under indirect supervision and travel to southwestern Ontario accompanied by staff or another approved person.
“The way it works is the board authorizes the maximum amount the hospital can allow, and then the hospital decides whether Mr. Martin is ready to exercise that privilege,” Gale said.
Martin's psychiatrist, Dr Ajay Prakash, told the panel that Martin's condition had improved recently and that one of his greatest strengths was his respectful attitude towards authority.
However, it must also be noted that the main issue to be addressed is Martin's return to the Orthodox Mennonite community in which he has lived his whole life.
The report noted that any return would require unanimous approval from the close-knit community, from whom it expects prolonged in-person “soul-deprivation.”
Gale said it's up to the community whether they consider bringing Martin back.
“They have a process for that, and they have to decide if they're going to do it, when they're going to do it, and if they're successful, when they're going to do it,” Gale said.
The committee heard they have already tried to contact elders in the area and Martin's wife but have so far not received a response.
Dr Prakash told the committee that if the Mennonite community ultimately refused to readmit Martin, the hospital's discharge plan was unclear.
The review committee's report also said Martin's adaptive and cognitive abilities would be assessed before deciding on a suitable group home for him.
Gale said Martin has other options.
“It will be difficult for him to integrate into other communities, but he has never tried and has the support from the hospital, his team and others to help him try that experiment one day and also consider returning to his own community.”
Dr Prakash told the committee it was unlikely Martin would be able to live in the community within the next year.
Ontario Review Board hearings are held annually for patients, but the report said the next one could be scheduled sooner if Martin's condition progresses more quickly than expected.
